Amreli: The forest department has terminated the services of a tracker in connection with the tragic death of 3 young Asiatic lions, two male and one female, who were run over by a speeding goods-train near Borala village under Savarkundala range of the Eastern part of Gir forest in Amreli district of Gujarat.

Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Junagadh and spokesperson of forest department D T Vasavada today said the 11 month service contract of the tracker has been ended. ‘In his area a lion was run over by a train in January this year and the incident of yesterday was the second one. He has been terminated for negligence of duty. However the enquiry of the incident was still on. The speed of the goods-train at the time of the accident and other aspects are being investigated,’ he said.

Notably the goods train was going from Botad to Pipavav, a famous port in the Amreli district. At around 1245 am past midnight, a pride of six lions was also moving on the same track. Three of them, a male aged around 2 years, another male and a female both aged around 1.5 years were run over by it and died on the spot.

Notably, the Gir forests, spread in more than 1800 square kilometers across three districts of Gir-Somnath, Junagadh and Amreli in Saurashtra region of Gujarat is the only abode of Asiatic lions. It houses 523 lions according to the last five yearly lion’s census of May 2015.

Railway tracks cross through the jungle on which goods train bringing containers from Pipavav port and passengers train ply regularly. Despite the steps taken by the government and funds allocated for fencing and other steps, the incidents of lions and other animals run-over takes place in the area. However, the incidents like more than one lion getting run-over seldom happens.

DeshGujarat